Gather up your friends and family and host a Labor Day cookout in your backyard! To ensure your summer bash is a hit, here are some ideas and tips to throw a terrific Labor Day party. Send out save the dates. Give your guests enough time to add your party into their busy summer schedules. Get your yard in shape. Trim the grass, set out flowerpots with colorful flowers, and clean the patio furniture. Keep it easy and plan ahead. Aim for an 80/20 mix of cold to hot food that you can prepare ahead of time to minimize last… Read More

Whether your home office is for running a business, telecommuting, or just for paying bills and organizing personal papers, you deserve an inviting home office that you will want to work in instead of just having a desk shoved in the corner. Here are some great ways to create an appealing and practical home office. Hide the tangled mess of cords. Having your cords concealed or at least neat and tidy will make you feel more organized. Use paintable cord covers that can blend into your wall, add adhesive hooks to the back of your furniture that you can attach… Read More

Over the last two months, the inventory of houses for sale in Wisconsin has expanded but the enduring seller’s market remains. The unbalanced real estate market is indicated by the available housing supply standing well below six months which is what signals a balanced market. The number of listings in July were up 3.4% compared to last July but the number of home sales were 3% lower over the same time period, according to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association’s latest analysis of Wisconsin’s current home market. The tight housing supply, especially in southeastern Wisconsin, has impelled housing prices to increase. It… Read More

For the first 6 months of 2018, home sales were only 3.7% lower than the first half of last year, primarily due to having strong sales over the winter months according to the most recent market analysis from the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Their analysis went on to report that the number of home sales were down nearly 12% in June compared to last June, however the median price of homes grew 5.4% over the same time frame. Low inventory of homes on the market has restricted the number of home sales and continues to influence the increase in home… Read More

Here are 8 terrific ways you can increase your home’s value and make your home more attractive to potential buyers when you decide to sell. Update or create an inviting office area. With more people working remotely, a home office area is becoming more essential for home buyers these days. Update or create an inviting office area with windows and built in shelving. Add a sun room. A wonderful way to add square footage to your home and bring in more natural lighting is by adding a sunroom. Build it on the back of your house for more privacy…. Read More

To figure out how much you need to save for a down payment on a home, you first need to determine what you can realistically spend on a house. According to CNN Money, most lenders restrict your mortgage amount in order for your monthly housing payments, including property taxes and insurance, to not surpass 28% of your pre-tax monthly income. Aiming for a lower percentage such as 20% may be better if your income fluctuates. Other expenses as a homeowner to keep in mind are repairs, maintenance, utilities, and even home owner association fees if they apply. The second step… Read More

Demand for homes in Wisconsin remained strong in May but the number of home sales fell 5% compared to May 2017 according to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association’s May 2018 Home Sales Report. In contrast, median home sales prices increased 8% over the same period. The main reason for the drop in home sales and increase in home prices is lack of inventory of homes on the market, which has been a nationwide problem. Metropolitan counties in the state had just over 3.5 months of housing supply in May compared to rural counties which had over 7 months of supply. Typically,… Read More

Instead of focusing on major renovations that are expensive and time consuming, consider taking on a few inexpensive projects to make your home more appealing to potential buyers and help you sell. Improve Storage Space: Buyers will be interested in checking out the storage options in a home. Ways to make storage spaces appear larger include: Empty out half of your closets and add a closet organizer Remove junk in the garage and crawl spaces Add organizers in your cabinets Improve bathroom storage by adding additional cabinets or over-the-toilet storage Fresh Paint: A fresh coat of paint can easily make… Read More

The healthy economy continues to invigorate Wisconsin’s housing market as buyer demand remains strong, motivating home prices to persistently increase. According to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association’s April Home Sales Report, median prices in the state have increased 5.9% in the last 12 months, pushing up the median home sales price to $180,000. The low level of homes for sale is also a major contributing factor to the surge in home prices. Comparing April 2018 to last April, the level of homes for sale were 19% lower and new listings were 14% lower. As a result, it left only 4.2 months… Read More

For the first quarter of 2018, real estate sales in Wisconsin were up 2.1% and median prices were up 6.3% compared to the first quarter of last year according to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association’s (WRA) recent analysis of the current housing market. Lack of homes for sale is the leading contributor for the increase in sales prices. The WRA reported that there was only 3.1 months of available supply in urbanized metro areas of Wisconsin, making for a very strong seller’s market in these particular parts of the state. Over the last year, home prices increased nearly 3 times the rate… Read More